The Story of Nineteenth-Century Emigration to the Australian Colonies

Another great review of my book Farewell to Old England Forever. This review is from an American reader, Robert Delft, who is clearly interested in nineteenth-century Australian history and impressed by the story in my book.

Robert Delft

5.0 out of 5 stars It Was Far More Than Convicts

Reviewed in the United States on June 9, 2022

I think most people view 19th-century emigration to Australia as a tale of criminals sent to the end of the earth, but it’s much more interesting than that. This lushly researched book conveys the full story, from the reasons why people resettled, the means, the vessels, and finally the extraordinary 13,000-mile voyage itself. For passengers it could be a nightmare of disease, seasickness, stench, and death, and for the crew, geographic disorientation, gales, icebergs – and, on approaching Australia, reefs where hundreds of ships foundered. This is a great work. It put me right there.

Thanks Robert. For readers interested in the complete story of settlement of the Australian colonies in the nineteenth century by over one million assisted and many unassisted emigrants this is the book for you.

For more details about the book and where to get a copy go to my website: www.douglimbrick.com.

For readers who are fans of painter Tom Roberts, the cover incorporates one of his paintings, Coming South, 1886. the original of this painting is held in the National Gallery of Victoria. The cover below contains the five stars of a previous reviewer.